Railroad-switch-locking mechanism.



S. D. FRANK.

RAILROAD SWITCH LOCKING MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1, 1912.

1,045,540. Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

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S. D. FRANK.

RAILROAD swmcn LOOKING MECHANISM APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1912. 1,945,549, Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

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and useful Improvements SAMUEL D. FRANK, OF MEDIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 ISAAC NEWTON FLOUNDERS, OF MEDIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed July 1, 19 12. Serial No. 707,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL D.-FRANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Media, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new in Railroad- Switch-Locking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism employed in connection with railroad switches of a type adapted to lock the movable rails of the switch in position before use of the same; and in such connection my present invention has relation more particularly to a simplified arrangement of such a mechanism for locking and unlocking the switch.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1, is a top or plan view of a section of stock-rails with movable facing point switch-rails and with an air controlled mechanism for locking and unlocking the said switch rails to and from the said stockrails, embodying main features of my present invention. Fig. 2, is a similar view enlarged, of the said switch rail locking mechanism, illustrated detached and in broken sectional relation with respect to the switch rails; and Fig. 3, is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the said switch rail locking mechanism.

Referring to the drawings a, is the roadbed having ties of, and with stock-rails a and (4 mounted thereon. b and 12 are facing-point switch rails movable between the stock-rails and fitting snugly against the same when moved into contact therewith. It may be here remarked that the switch rails must at all times make close contact with the stock-rails, but as the latter are subject all the time to more or less wear, provision must be made to admit the switch rails and so as to insure a necessary closefit at all times of the same, for entire safety.

0, is a slidable lever-arm pivotally connected at 0 to a bar 0 This bar is in pivotal connection with the switch rails b and 6 The said lever-arm c, at its inner extremity is provided with a roller-pivot 0 arranged to engage cam-shaped slots 0 and c of plates 0 and 0 which plates are supported in position by a series of vertical posts 0 extending from the base-plate c, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The slotted cam plate 0 is provided with a cover plate 0 to protect the slots of the said plate 0 and thereby to preserve in good working order at all times the rollerpivot 0 in its movements within the camshaped slots 0 and c of the said plates.

The points 6 and 6 of the switch rails b and 6 are suitably connected with a sliderod 6*, the inner portion of which rod is grooved at the top and bottom thereof as at b and b so as to engage lugs 79 and 6 of a longitudinal locking-bar 17 which bar is mounted on a standard 5 and is provided with a top plate 6 supported in position by means of posts b, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These posts carry rollers b, for reducing friction on the locking-bar b and slide-rod 6 The said locking-bar b", is also provided with a pivot-pin I), arranged to engage one arm of a slotted bellcrank lever (Z, which is pivoted at (Z to a post (1 This post ext-ends vertically from the base plate 0". The opposite arm (i of said bell-crank lever (Z, is provided with a cam-shaped slot 0%, in which engages a pin (Z carried by the said cam plate 0 The mode of operation of the switch-rail locking mechanism hereinbefore explained, is as follows :Air is admitted to the cylinder 6, through the supply pipe 6 to actuate the piston of the said cylinder in a rearward direction. The piston-rod 6 is connected with the cam plate 0 and moves the same until the shouldered portion 0 of the cam-slot 0 is brought into contact with the roller-pivot 0 During such movement the pin 6Z5, operating in the cam-slot d of the bell-crank lever (i, will have unlocked the switch by moving the lug 6 out of the groove 6 of the slide-rod 79 The switch is then ready to be thrown into the opposite direction, and this is accomplished by a continued movement of the plate 0'. The shouldered portion 0 of the cam-slot 0 being in contact with the roller-pivot 0 will push the sliding-bar 0, in a direction to cause the switch to be thrown. The said roller-pivot c traveling through the camslot 0*, will gradually work over to the left as shown in Fig. 2, until the switch has completed its movement. At the'same time the pin (Z of the plate 0 will travel through the straight portion of the cam-slot 0Z of the bell-crank lever 03, without operating the locking-bar 6 The switch is now ready to be locked and as the plate 0 continues to move, the roller-pivot 0 will travel in the lower part of the cam 0 and the pin (P, will travel in the upper part of the cam-slot (Z of the bell-crank lever (Z, to thereby shift the locking-bar 6, until the lug 6 of said locking-bar 6 engages in the groove 6", of the slide-rod 6 A movement in the opposite direction of the cam plate 0 will cause a reverse movement of the said mechanism to that hereinabove described.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. The combination with stationary rails and movable switch rails, of a locking mechanism, consisting of a slidable leverarm in movable connection at one extremity with said switch rails and at the opposite extremity having a pivot, a fixed plate and a movable plate, each having a cam-slot, said plates being in engagement with said pivot, a slide-rod arranged to engage said switch rails and provided with grooves near one extremity thereof, a locking-bar provided with lugs for engaging the grooves of said rod, and a bell-crank lever having a slotted arm in movable engagement with said locking-bar and another slotted arm movably engaging a pin of one of said slotted plates, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2.'The combination with stationary rails and movable switch rails, of a locking mechanism consisting of a slidable leverarm in movable connect-ion at one extremity with said switch rails and at the opposite extremity having a roller-pivot, a fixed plate and a movable plate, each having a camslot, said plates being in engagement with said pivot and each having a shouldered portion, said roller-pivot arranged to engage and travel in the slotted portions of said cam-plates and to contact periodically with the shouldered portions of said plates, a slide-rod arranged to engage said switch rails and provided with grooves, a lockingbar provided with lugs for engaging the grooves of said rod, a bell-crank lever having two slotted arms, one arranged in connection with said locking-bar and the other to engage the pin of the movable one of said slotted plates, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a switch and lock movement, switch rails having a member adapted to be operated by cam-slotted plates to move said rails, an auxiliary locking means having a rod in connection with said rails for engagement by a locking plunger, the latter being operated by abell-crank lever having a camslot engaged by a pin on one of said camslotted plates. v

4. A switch and. lock. movement, having stationary-rails and switch-rails, a bar connecting said rails and a member connected to said bar adapted to be operated by camslotted plates to move said rails, an auxiliary locking means, consisting of a rod connecting said rails and extending outside of said stationary-rails for engagement by a plunger and means connecting said auxiliary locking means with said cam-slotted plates, said means being operated by a pin and slot mechanism.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses hereto.

SAMUEL D. FRANK. Witnesses THOMAS M. SMITH, HELEN F. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. i

DISCLAIMER.

1,045,540.Samuel 1). Frank, Media, Pa. RAILROAD-SWITCH-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Patent dated November 26, 1912. Disclaimer filed April 4:, 1913, by the patentee.

Enters this disclaimer To that part of the claim in said specification, which is in the following words, to wit:

4. A switch and lock movement, having stationary-rails and switch-rails, a bar connecting said rails and a member connected to said bar adapted to be operated by cam-slotted plates to move said rails, an auxiliary locking means, consisting of a rod connecting said rails and extending outside of said stationary-rails for engagement by a plunger and means connecting said auxiliary locking means with said cam-slotted plates, said means being operated by a pin and slot mechanism.

[Oficial Gazette, April 15, 1913.] 

